Tafsir & Commentary
The Table Spread (المائدة) · Medinan
فَمَن تَابَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ظُلْمِهِۦ وَأَصْلَحَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ39
5:39
Translation — Sahih International
But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allāh will turn to him in forgiveness. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Transliteration
Faman taba min ba'da dhulimihi wa aslaha fa-inna Allaha yatoobu alayhi. Inna Allaha ghafoorun rahimun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes that whoever repents after committing wrongdoing and reforms themselves will find that Allah accepts their repentance. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir note this verse affirms the boundless mercy of Allah—no sin is too great if the servant sincerely turns back to Him with genuine reformation of conduct. The verse underscores the completeness of Allah's forgiveness conditioned upon sincere repentance (tawbah) and righteous amendment (islah).
Revelation Context (Asbab al-Nuzul)
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Ma'idah's discussion of prescribed punishments (hudud) and legal rulings. It follows verses addressing theft and other transgressions, reminding believers that even after legal consequences, the door to divine mercy through repentance remains open. This reflects the Medinan period's focus on establishing both justice and compassion in the Islamic community.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will accept their repentance' (Sahih Muslim). Additionally, 'The one who repents from sin is like one who has no sin' (Sunan Ibn Majah and Jami' at-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lessons
This ayah teaches that Allah's mercy supersedes punishment when sincere repentance and reformation occur, offering hope to all believers regardless of their past failures. For modern readers, it emphasizes that genuine change through tawbah combined with positive action (islah) is the pathway to spiritual renewal and divine acceptance.